Seam-sealing device for cigarette-machines.



A. L. EWERS.

SEAM SEALING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES. APPLIOATION FILED APR.29, 1913.

1 ,1 30,720. Paltented Mar. 9, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co. FHOTD-LITHO.. WASHINGI'ON DY A. L. BWERS. SEAM SEALING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APILZQ, 1913. 1,1 30,720. Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co.. PHOTOLITHO WASHINOION, o. c,

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ALEXANDER L. EWERS, 0F DURMID, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED CIGARETTE MACHINE CO. LTD., OF LONDON, ENGLAND,

AND IRELAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed April 29, 1913. Serial No. 764,324.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LEE Ewnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Durmid, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seam-Sealing Devices for Cigarette-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cigarette making machines of the continuous rod type and particularly to the means for laying and drying the pasted seam of the 'olded wrapper as it travels with great speed from the wrapper folding-devices to the rod cutting mechanism. In machines ofthis type, particularly those machines that run at high speed and machines that form cigarettes with a narrow lap, the cigarettes are liable to be delivered with moist, and wrinkled or puckered seams due to expansion of the paper wrapper by the water in the paste.

The wrinkled or puckered seam detracts from the appearance of the finished cigarette while cigarettes ejected with undried seams, especially when the lap is narrow, tend to open up under the expansion of the filler and spoil the product.

To overcome the faults above recited, various means for ironing and drying the seam immediately the wrapper is folded have been devised, inmost of which heat generated by gas or electricity, has been employed,

to raise the temperature of a portion of the channel through which the cigarette rod passes. In the present invention, all such means for generating heat have been abandoned and in place thereof a friction device has been adapted to increase the temperature of a part adjacent the cigarette rod and by conduction through said part, transmit the generated heat to the cigarette seam, drying and ironing said seam as the cigarette rod moves rapidly past the heated part and in contact therewith.

Briefly stated the invention comprises in the embodiment shown, a hollow drum resting against the channel through which the cigarette rod passes, and particularly against that side in contact with the seam. This side may be a block or piece interposed between the drum and the cigarette rod, or the drum itself may form the side of the channel as preferred. In the axis of the drum is a rotating shaft carrying a number of friction blocks that bear against the inner surface of the drum as they revolve and generate heat that is transmitted by conduction through the wall of the drum to the channel and thence to the seam of the cigarette rod. The shaft is driven by gearing receiving motion from the cigarette machinery, and the drum is mounted in such a way that it can be readily raised from the channel and held therefrom whenever desired.

In order that the invention may be clear to those skilled in the art, the accompanying drawings show what is considered the preferred embodiment of the invention, and as there shown Figure 1 is a side elevation of the friction device applied to a cigarette channel a portion being broken away. Fig. 2 1s a vertical cross sectional View of the same on the line 22. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in section of a portion of the friction device and the cigarette channel. Fig. & is an enlarged view similar to the lower portion of Fig. 2, of a modified form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 55 Fig. 4:.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a portion of the cigarette rod channel, here shown as comprising a lower plate 11 and an upper plate 12 in contact therewiththrough which plates is made a longitudinal opening for the passage of the cigarette rod. The channel 10 here shown is merely illustrative and may be substituted by any other type of channel.

Resting upon the channel 10 is a hollow drum 18 having an open end tightly covered by a cap 1%, which in the drawings is shown as screwed on a reduced and externally threaded portion of the drum. Extending through the drum 13 and in the axis thereof is a shaft 15 mounted in bearings 16, 17 on the drum 13 and cap 1 1, respectively, and which may contain stufling boxes or other means to prevent the escape of fluid through the bearings. On one end of the shaft 15 is fastened a gear wheel 18. Within the drum the shaft has fixed thereon a hub 19 extending from head to head of the drum, and from which hub project a number of longitudinal ribs or lugs 20. One side 21 of each of said ribs is made tangential to a circle concentric to the axis of the shaft, and to each of said sides 21 is secured a resilient arm 22, here shown as a spring plate of sheet A CORPORATION OF GREAT BRITAIN' metal. Each arm 22 has fastened on its outer end a friction block 23, as long as the v drum 13 between the heads and hearing againstth'e inner surface of the drum.

A short distance from the drum 13 1s a bearing bracket 24 bolted or otherwisesecured to a portion 25 of the cigarette machine frame that supports. a sha1t26 on which is a gear wheel 27 in engagement with f the gear wheel 18. An arm. 28 is mount ed at one end to swing on said shaft 26, its

other end being forked and connected to the bearings 16, 17 on the drum 13 and carriesfsaid drum. Piv oted on the bracket 24- is a. lever 29 having a notch 30 in one side and a handle 31 on its free end. A pin 32 projects from the side of the arm 28 and when the drum is. lifted, said pin 1s caught in the notch 30 of the lever and the drum sustained above the channel 10. A spring 33 holds the lever 29 against the pin-when the latter is disengaged from the notch, and draws the notch into engagement with said pin whenthe drumis raised. The drum is about three fourths filled with -'oil which becomes heated and being a relatively large I body, retains its heat for quite a while. By

this means a constantv even, temperature is maintained in the heater while the cigarette machine is running and cools but slowly during a temporary stoppage.

The operation of this heater is very efficient. The drum 13 rests-on the channel 10 over the lap in the wrapper, the channel being; made exceedingly thin atwthispomt, see 34, Fig. 3. The shaft rotates rapidly when thecigarette making machine is in operation and the friction blocks 23 bearing against the inner surface of the drum 13, generate heat by their frictional contact that raises the temperatureof the drum and the oil, the

"intensity of the heat depending on the speed of the shaft, the pressure of the blocks against the drum and the area of the surfaces in frictional engagement. The speed may be regulated by changing the proportion of the gear wheels 18, 27, the pressure by increasing or decreasing the tension of the spring arms,'and the area of the contacting surfaces by enlarging or reducing the bearing surfaces of the friction blocks. By properly proportioning these several elements that substituted therefor as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6.. As there represented, .21

the channel and form the opening through which the cigarette rod passes. 77

. In place of spring arms 22 to carry the friction blocks pivoted arms 22 may be substituted and held against the drum by springs 36 as in Fig. 4. e The drum 13 and its cap 14 are preferably made of different metals, the former of phosphor-bronze and the latter of steel. In this way the expansion and contraction of these parts, due to heating and cooling do not inju-riously affect the threaded connec-' tion by which they are oined.

What I claim is 1. In a cigarette making machine, thecombination. with a forming channel through which the cigarette rod passes, of a fixed metallic member arranged to bear upon the seamof-the'ci-ga-rette'rod, and rapidly moving heat generating means contacting frietionally-wi-th said metallic member for heating the latter by friction and for transmittingsuch heat 'to' the seam of the cigarette rod by conduction.

2. I 'n a cigarette making-"machine, the

combination with a Wrapper folding channel having a relatively thin metal wall, of a heater for said wall comprising a station groove 35ismade in the drum 13 to coact with the groove in the lower plate 11 of ary member in contact with thethinwall of the channel, and a rapidly moving heat generating member contacting with "said stationary member for heating the latter by friction and transmitting such "heat through the said thin wali by conduction 3. In a cigarette making machine, the

combination witha wrappl'er folding-Chan:

nel, of a heater for said "0121.111161, comprising a stationary hollow member in contact with the channel, and a movable member lwovithin and bearing against the hollow mem- 4. In a cigarette making, machine, the

combinationwith a wrapper folding chair nel, of a heater for said channel, com-prising a stationary hollow member contact with said channel, and arevolub le member Within said hollow member and in frictional contact with the inner surface thereof.

'5. In a cigarette making machine, the

combination with a wrapper folding ohannel, of a heater for said channel, comprisin saidstationary member in frictional 'con tact with the inner wall thereof,-and a liq uid also within said hollow member adapt ed to be heated by the friction between the said members and distribute the heat to contiguousparts.

6. In .a cigarette making machine, the combinationwi-th a wrapper folding chaning a stationary hollow member in contact with the channel, a revoluble member with nel'throughwhich a cigarette rod passes, of

a heater for said channel comprising a metallic'member adapted to be moved into and out of contact with the channel, of a rapidly revoluble heat generating member in frictional contact with said metallic member for heating the latter by friction and transmitting the heat to the channel and the cigarette rod by conduction.

7. In a cigarette making machine, the combination with a wrapper folding channel through which the cigarette rod passes, said channel having athin Wall at one side, a hollow member movable into and out of contact with the thin wall of said channel, and a revoluble heat generating member in frictional contact with the inner .wall of the said hollow member for heating the latter and transmitting its heat by conduction thgough the said thin Wall to the cigarette ro 8. In a cigarette making machine, the combination with a Wrapper folding channel, of a heater for said channelcomprising a stationary hollow member in contact with said channel, a rotatable shaft extending through said member, and frictional blocks resiliently carried by said shaft in contact Iwith the inner surface of the hollow mem- 9. In a cigarette making machine, the combination with a Wrapper folding channel, of a heater for said channel, comprising a hollow member movable into and out of contact with said channel, a revoluble shaft extending through said member, spring arms extending from said shaft, and a friction shoe carried by each of said spring arms bearing upon the inner surface of a stationary member.

10. In a cigarette making machine, the means for pressing and smoothing the pasted seam of a paper wrapped cigarette rod consisting of an apparatus for generating heat by friction and comprising a stationary metallic member bearing upon the cigarette rod, and a rapidly moving member in frictional contact with said stationary metallic member for heatingthe latter by friction and imparting such heat to the cigarette rod by conduction.

11. In a cigarette making machine, an apparatus for generating heat by friction comprising a hollow stationary member, and a revoluble member within the hollow memberheld frictionally against the inner surface of the same'by resilient means.

12. In a cigarette making machine, an apparatus for generating heat by friction comprising a drum adapted to be moved into and out of contact with said machine, a shaft rotatable within said drum, a hub carried by said shaft, spring arms secured to said shaft, and a friction block carried by each spring arm and bearing resiliently against the inner surface of said drum.

1?). In a cigarette making machine, the combination with a wrapper folding channel, of a heater therefor, comprising a sta-r tionary member mounted to swing into and out of contact with said channel, a revoluble member within said stationary member, and bearing frictionally against the inner surface thereof, and means for supporting said stationary member when raised out of contact with said folding channel.

14:. In a cigarette making machine, the combination with a wrapper folding channel, of a heater therefor comprising a nonrotating drum, and a plurality of revoluble members within said drum in friction contact with its inner wall, a lever connected to said drum and arranged to swing the same into contact with said channel to heat the same by conduction, a conducting liquid Within the drum, and a supporting means for holding said drum out of contact with said channel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit- E. H. BIoKERToN, J. GRANVILLE MEYERs.

Copies of thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

